1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to latches. Specifically, this invention relates to a portable latch which can be used to hold a levering-in handle on a circuit breaker in the open or ready-for-service position.
2. Background Information
An industrial capacity circuit breaker is housed in a cell while in use. The circuit breaker is large, heavy, generally rectangular, and has wheels to allow a person to insert or remove the circuit breaker from the cell. To secure the circuit breaker in the cell, a catch plate is positioned along the front panel of the circuit breaker. The catch plate has a handle and is pivotably attached to the circuit breaker. The catch plate works by resting against a catch bar which is part of the cell. While in this position the handle is said to be in the closed position. To remove the circuit breaker from the cell, an operator must lift the handle so that the catch plate pivots free, or open, from the catch bar. The circuit breaker may then be withdrawn from the cell. The handle provides a convenient hand-hold for moving a circuit breaker and is often called a xe2x80x9clevering-in handle.xe2x80x9d
For safety reasons, and sometimes due to the weight, circuit breakers are extracted from a cell using a crane or other mechanical device that allows the operator to stand at a distance. The catch plate makes this operation more difficult as one operator must hold the catch plate handle up while another operator operates the crane. Accordingly there is a need for a latch to hold the handle of the catch plate in the open position while an operator withdraws a circuit breaker from a cell using a crane or other device.
Because many circuit breakers that are currently in use do not have a latch for holding the catch plate in the open position, there is a further need for a latch handle that can be attached to existing circuit breakers.
Additionally, because circuit breakers without latches are often disposed in banks of cells, there is a need for a latch kit that can be easily transported and attached to different circuit breakers.
These and other needs are satisfied by the invention which is directed to a latch kit which can be transported from one circuit breaker to another. The latch kit has double hook which is adapted to hold the catch plate handle and a hook plate which can be attached to the front panel of a circuit breaker. The double hook and the hook plate are attached to each other by a tension member. The tension member provides sufficient force to hold the catch plate handle in the open position when the hook plate is attached to the circuit breaker front panel and the double hook has engaged the catch plate handle.